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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
Autor: | PPAULO |
E-mail: | não-disponível |
Data: | 22/JAN/2012 10:10 PM |
Assunto: | Do Americans feel afraid of the growth of English |
Mensagem: |
Hi Jefferson, congratulation on your interest on all things English. Have you ever heard about "Speak Up" mag? it comes with a CD ROM, you can read the features in the magazine and listen it in the CD. There are also some worksheets with questions about the texts. Certainly in these social networks you can find some English people to talk online, if you have a mic (skype etc...) Your message reminded of JFK´s speech "don´t ask what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." Same goes for American people (and most busy people in other countries). That is, if you better your English you attract English speaking people, that´s how it works...I am not trying to dispirit you. It´s the other way, go for it, study and you will see.
"But the American people usually doesn't speak any distinct language from their own." , even you used the word "usually" so let´s not generalize. There are plenty of Americans that speak Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, perhaps there are more of them that speak/study Latin than we, and Portuguese comes from Latin!
Indeed the world is becoming global for the one that can afford it, the educated, the traveled, the one with the bucks. Neither the average American, Brazilian, Chinese or Indian. These ones will read, talk, learn and inform themselves solely in their mother tongue. And will live in their countries as well.
And not you aren´t getting crazy, maybe it´s a problem in your perception, that´s it.
To my thinking they don´t feel afraid of their language spreading more and more, to the contrary, their language is one kind of "lingua franca" of our comtemporary days. Should they afraid, would they divulge their music so much? would they sell movies dubbed in Portuguese/Spanish and other languages? right now they are going to make Visa applications easier for Brazil, China and India nationals be reducing wait times. That´s more, we can see plenty of English speaking singers coming to Brazil in their tours, not to mention businesspersons and investors. Today, we can see even courses on Portuguese, and Portuguese-English lessons about our language for English speaking people! Of course, it´s (in a sense) all about business, in this case the tourism industry is pushing for Brazilian tourists going there and boost their economy as well, maybe a win-win situation (time will say).
http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=2517
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